East Africa

Al-Azhar warns of Ramadan terror escalation as Al-Shabaab executes 10, Kenya says Nairobi plot foiled The Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism has warned of escalating terrorist threats along the Somali-Kenyan border during the holy month of Ramadan, citing what it called a “bloody strategy” by the militant group Al-Shabaab to intimidate civilians and step up cross-border attacks. In a statement Monday, the Cairo-based observatory said the latest surge began Saturday night, when Al-Shabaab militants executed 10…

More than 150 lawmakers were absent at the start of official proceedings in the Malawi Parliament, lawmakers and observers reported, raising fresh concerns about attendance at sittings where national laws, budgets and policies are debated and approved. The First Deputy Speaker called the widespread absence "very saddening" and warned that members who continue to miss sittings without permission face sanctions, including the withdrawal of parliamentary allowances. Authorities said the pattern undermines the House’s…

Somalia’s Yeheb tree is vanishing. Turning Cordeauxia edulis into a domesticated crop could secure food, fodder and fragile drylands. In the sun-scored rangelands of Hiiraan, Galmudug, Mudug and the Somali-Ethiopian borderlands, a native lifeline grows almost nowhere else on Earth: the Yeheb tree (Cordeauxia edulis), known locally as Jicib. Long relied upon for its edible nuts, livestock fodder and soil-restoring roots, this wild leguminous shrub is quietly slipping away—its populations down as much as 70% under pressure…

Opinion: Somalia should lead a Horn of Africa economic bloc built on connectivity corridors The Horn of Africa is at a hinge moment. After decades marked by fragmentation and instability, the region faces a practical imperative: build a regional economic bloc anchored in modern connectivity corridors or cede another generation to missed potential. For Somalia, whose Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden coastline sits astride one of the world’s busiest maritime routes, the choice is stark. With recent macroeconomic stabilization,…

Somalia’s Geoeconomic Moment: Why the Horn of Africa Needs a Regional Economic Alliance Built on Connectivity Corridors The twenty-first century rewards regions that trade, build, and secure prosperity together. After decades battered by conflict and fragmentation, the Horn of Africa stands at a historic inflection point. Integration is no longer optional; it is the price of resilience, investment, and influence. With strategic coastline, a reviving economy and a deep mercantile heritage, Somalia can help shape a regional…

The Bab al-Mandab Strait is fast becoming the world’s most consequential test case for managing great-power rivalry on a narrow, fragile stage. As consensus-based multilateralism stalls and selective enforcement of international law undercuts confidence in global rules, the Red Sea corridor has turned into a live experiment in how to handle competition in an increasingly multipolar world—without breaking the arteries of trade that connect Europe, Asia and Africa. This is not an abstract debate. An estimated 10–15 percent of…

Kenya’s spy agency says a trafficking pipeline aided by rogue officials has funneled up to 1,000 Kenyans into Russia’s war in Ukraine, with at least one death and dozens injured or missing, according to a report presented to parliament. The National Intelligence Service report, tabled Wednesday by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, details alleged collusion by airport staff, immigration officers, investigators and labor officials to recruit and move Kenyans into Russia under false pretenses. It says 89…

Somalia launches East African Community passport, signaling push for regional mobility MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia has officially begun issuing the East African Community (EAC) passport, a step the federal government cast as historic for regional integration and a boost to global mobility for Somali citizens. Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said Thursday that the introduction of the EAC passport will expand opportunities in travel, trade and education while strengthening Somalia’s engagement within the regional bloc.…

Ethiopia asks Türkiye for diplomatic backing in push for sea access as Erdogan visits Addis Ababa Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Tuesday he asked Türkiye for diplomatic support in Addis Ababa’s effort to secure access to the sea, making the issue a central focus of talks with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during a rare high-level visit to the Ethiopian capital. At a joint news conference, Abiy said he discussed Ethiopia’s “quest for sea access” with Erdogan and welcomed what he described as strong and…

South African police have arrested Bellarmine Mugabe, 28, the youngest son of Zimbabwe's late former president Robert Mugabe, on an attempted murder charge after a shooting at a property in an upmarket Johannesburg suburb, authorities said Wednesday. Police said a 23-year-old man believed to be a gardener was critically injured in the incident and remains hospitalized. Officers searching the house recovered bullet cartridges but did not find a firearm at the scene, the statement said. Another man was taken into custody as…